July 2, 2026 a thought for today, A hungry belly hears nobody. Portuguese Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “my choice”, “a touch of color”. This is one of my first few blooms in my miniature rose garden. I separated it from the in-color background then turned it to black and white to better showcase the rose. 

The next assignment was “a cup”. This is the most “dainty” cup I have so it is
the one I chose to use for this image. 

The last upload was “sea shells”. These are a pair of shells my sister and I have held onto from many years in our past when we had the opportunity to visit the sea side on family vacations.

Live today. With this Thursday’s printing had a bit of a different aspect to it, the temperature was supposed to be 95 degrees with a heat wave warning for the next two to three days. I have been dealing with a hydration issue lately so the heat is a concern. After some thought I decided to go an hour earlier. It wasn’t too bad. The building itself was holding in the heart from the past week so it was hotter than the outside air temperature. The copier gave me a bit of trouble. I had four paper jams. I thought, why today of all days. It is usually a smooth uninterrupted run. I got through in about an hour. It is off my mind now.  I can stop worrying about it for this week.

I stopped to drop off the mail, then went by McDonalds for sausage McMuffins for Sue. 

After I got home, I started the laundry and got two of my larger house plants transplanted to the next size up container. 

Just after I fixed myself some lunch, Lowell and Rebecca stopped for a visit before they leave on a trip. They will be leaving Monday for more than a week.

Now to finish this letter and do some uploads, letters and photos. Then last of the day, fold laundry. 

The word to ponder today is also.  It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them! Friedrich Nietzsche. To do just the opposite is also a form of imitation. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. Thomas a Kempis. We know truth, not only by reason, but also by the heart. Blaise Pascal. Have you heard that it was good to gain the day? I also say it is good to fall, battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won. Walt Whitman. Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself. Friedrich Nietzsche. There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep. Homer. Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity. Hippocrates. Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. Demosthenes. Et tu, Brute. [You also, Brutus.] Julius Caesar. Archaeology is not only the hand maid of history, it is also the conservator of art. Edward Bulwer-Lytton. History is philosophy teaching by example, and also warning; its two eyes are geography and chronology. James A. Garfield. Where the speech is corrupted, the mind is also. Seneca. Noise is the most impertinent of all forms of interruption. It is not only an interruption, but is also a disruption of thought. Arthur Schopenhauer. You (God) have not only commanded continence, that is, from what things we are to restrain our love, but also justice, that is, on what we are to bestow our love. Saint Augustine. Where you find the laws most numerous, there you will find also the greatest injustice. Arcesilaus. People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Remember what is unbecoming to do is also unbecoming to speak of. Socrates. Speech is human, silence is divine, yet also brutish and dead: therefore we must learn both arts. Thomas Carlyle. 

Article summary. I thought it would be interesting to read how people fared in health and comfort in our past history compared to today. One thing interesting to add to that is the heat we are facing in this season to that thinking also. The title is How did it feel to be an American colonist in 1776? Probably itchy, achy and slightly nauseated. Katherine Ott, Curator of Medicine and Science, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. At theconversation.com/us. It began with a comparison of sorts, tricorn hats (1776), and bonnets are replaced by flip flops and sneakers (2026). In that time no “aspirin, toothpaste or air conditioning” and no knowledge of germs and penicillin. Body aches and pains and other modern health thoughts were completely foreign at that time in history. Illnesses like “smallpox, typhoid, dysentery, yellow fever and diptheria” were always in the picture of possible occurrences and “defined life” to all, rich or poor. This author is a curator a the Smithsonian. He mentions that some of the instruments of that time period can relate to the physical experience people of the time felt, many were “heavy in the hand, awkward in use and imprecise to maneuver”.  The article says that these “bone saws” and others of the tools were tools relating to a “close affinity of humans with other animals”. In speaking of animals, their farm animals were sometimes brought into the house in bad weather leading to the question of cleanliness. Also speaking of cleanliness some bathing was done in the river leading to sanitary questions involving fungus, bacteria situations leading to skin ailments. Not only did the bathing situation lead to skin problems so did lice, bed bugs, ringworm and more. Added to all of that was “smelly woolens or coarse calico” as other points of skin irritations. New born babies were another item of concern, some were “immersed” in cold water to “harden” the child to life as it existed in that time. Some babies didn’t make it to a second birthday. There were few professional “doctors” so barbers, midwives, “bonesetters”, ministers and others took on that “job”.  A process called bloodletting was common practice. Those called surgeons “washed their hands in contaminated water”. Some felt family members and “experienced elders” were safer than trained physicians. Pulling teeth was also a necessary need of the time. Keeping food fresh was not easy. Spoiled food led to dyspepsia and more. I learned that tobacco was used to treat some ailments. There were no known treatments for what would have been diagnosed as diabetes cancer, anemia, rabies, even head and chest colds. This articles attemper to show that the objects used in 1776 is a history that leaves “people today disconnected from those who lived it.” It ends by relating that “knowing their material world through medical objects of their time allows us to visit and appreciate how they managed”.

I froze spaghetti from the other night. I think I will have that for dinner tonight. 

Photos in my life today

My first challenge today is “in the fridge”. I’ll have to admit my fridge isn’t normally this “neat”.

The next assignment is another to the “my choice” assignments and one of my “touch of color” images. It is a set of red colored autumn leaves with only on of the leaves selected to be in color. 

The last upload is “a high angle”. I have difficulty trying to think of something
different or more “artistic” for an assignment like this. Maybe due to my dysplasia I don’t know if it means taking it from a high up position or looking upward.  

Joy

the last couple of days I have seen he morning sun leaving interesting shadows and patterns to capture and upload to my Fine Art American contest page and my “store” front, this is one

want to shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector (and take a look at flickr.com search for rectorjoyce)